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36 Central New York projects recommended for $27 million in state funding

NYSYR-20140724-161624-Hotel.JPG

The Central New York Regional Economic Development Council has recommended that the state provide a $3.9 million grant for a proposed $57 million renovation of the Hotel Syracuse.
(Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. — The Central New York Regional Economic Development Council has recommended 36 development projects for state funding assistance totaling nearly $27 million this year.

The council, one of 10 created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo around the state, said the 36 "priority" projects it is recommending for $26.6 million in state funding would leverage $203.1 million in private and other funding. The total cost of the 36 projects would be nearly $230 million, it said.

It said the projects would have a five-year total payroll of more than $98.9 million and would support the creation of 894 new jobs and the retention of 90 existing jobs.

"These priority projects are selected because they accomplish multiple goals and strategies, advance the region's transformational Initiatives, and leverage the greatest return on investment — in terms of dollars, jobs, human capital and community impact — to stimulate economic growth across five counties," the council said in its report to the state.

The council recommended a $1.6 million grant to help Corso's Cookies build an $8 million manufacturing plant on the Onondaga Community College campus as part of the START-UP NY program. The plant would help the company, currently located in Geddes, to serve the growing demand from national retail customers for its cookies, the council said.

The largest amount of state funding was recommended for the the proposed renovation of the historic Hotel Syracuse in downtown Syracuse. The council recommended a $3.9 million state grant for the $57 million project, which already is in line for $16.1 million in state grants.

The next largest amount — a $2.32 million grant — was recommended for the redevelopment of the former Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield headquarters on South Warren Street in downtown Syracuse. Its new owner, Paradise Cos., has proposed turning the building, one of the largest vacant structures in downtown Syracuse, into a mixed-use complex consisting with commercial and office space, and apartments. The project would cost a total of $19.58 million.

A $2.16 million grant was recommended for a proposed test facility at Griffiss International Airport in Oneida County for unmanned aircraft. The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance Inc. test range instrumentation project would cost a total of $18.47 million.

A $2 million state grant was recommended for a $32.2 million expansion of Crouse Hospital's emergency department.

The state will decide on funding for the projects later this year.

Here is the complete list of the recommended projects and the council's description of each:

SBB Inc. (Onondaga County): SBB will purchase an existing TECS manufacturer and construct a new building for the combined businesses. This project will help increase quality, allowing the company to better compete in the global market.

US Intercorp LLC (Cayuga County): US Intercorp will purchase and install new machinery and equipment in an expanded manufacturing facility in Auburn. The manufacturer intends to expand its product offerings in the heating and cooling industries.

Total project cost: $8.02 million
Recommended state funding: $1.5 million grant

Euphony Audio and Speed Technology (Onondaga County): Euphony will develop a language and speed data processing system to automate data analysis to add voice, language and context to text-to-speech technologies. This project will create new technologies, software, and tools to adapt new languages and speech data into the product.

Crouse Hospital emergency department expansion (Onondaga County): Crouse Hospital will expand its emergency department from less than 8,000 square feet to a new space that is approximately 16,000-square-feet. This expansion will allow Crouse to better align its health care support system and provide a higher quality of care to its patients.

Total project cost: $32.2 million
Recommended state funding: $2 million grant

Le Moyne College health professions expansion (Onondaga County): Le Moyne College will renovate and equip two floors of its Coyne building for science labs and related facilities, which will enable growth of the college's health programs and increase its capacity to attract international students. The project will also create a strong foundation to maintain a pipeline of qualified professionals to support the health, biomedical services and biosciences sectors.

Total project cost: $8.75 million
Recommended state funding: $1.25 million grant

Good Nature New Farm Brewery Facility (Madison County): This project will construct a new indoor and outdoor manufacturing facility and event space on an underutilized property outside of Hamilton. This expansion will allow for statewide distribution of the company's products, which use predominantly locally grown ingredients.

Total project cost: $1.5 million
Recommended state funding: $250,000

Hops Yard and Micro Malting (Onondaga County): Oran Station Brewing Supplies will create a vertically integrated farm brewery in the town of Manlius. The project will expand hops and barley production at the facility and will build a new craft brewery to tap into the region's growing brewing industry.

Hardwood Transformations Engineered Flooring (Division of HTI) (Oswego County): The company will invest in its manufacturing facility to purchase and install machinery and equipment to support a new division that will focus on a new patented engineered flooring product.

Cazenovia Hospitality LLC (Madison County): This project will build a national chain hotel on Nelson Street in Cazenovia. The property will offer 80 guest rooms and a conference facility that can accommodate up to 300 people. The project fills a void for a hospitality center in the region, particularly with the growth of local agribusiness and arts, culture and educational activities in the area.

Total project cost: $8 million
Recommended state funding: $1.28 million grant

Owera Farm Winery II (Madison County): Owera will expand its Round I funded project by constructing an 8,500-square-foot building for wine sales, small group instruction and storage. The permanent structure will enable year-round operation and enhance on-farm marking and regional tourism.

Total project cost: $2 million
Recommended state funding: $200,000 grant

Twenty East renovations for agri-tourism destination (Madison County): Project includes the renovation of underutilized commercial buildings into a agri-tourism based destination, and builds off the strong agri-business and tourism growth experienced in Madison County over the past five years.

Total project cost: $167,215
Recommended state funding: $33,443 grant

Woodbine Group Tailwater Barn Banquet Facility (Oswego County): Planned for construction in spring 2015, the Tailwater Barn will be a 10,000-square-foot, full-service banquet facility designed to complement the newly opened Tailwater Lodge. The facility will turn the Tailwater Lodge into a tourism destination and will attract new weddings, conferences and retreats to the town of Altmar.

Total project cost: $2 million
Recommended state funding: $200,000 grant

Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance Inc. test range instrumentation (Oneida County): This interregional project will install surveillance and radar systems at the FAA-designated Griffiss International Airport test site. The project will give the FAA New York UAS test site the potential to lead development of a Detect and Avoid system for the safe operation of unmanned aircraft in the national airspace.

Total project cost: $18.47 million
Recommended state funding: $2.16 million grant

Onondaga Historical Association Iroquois Heritage Center (Onondaga County): Project will conduct interior renovations to the existing building at 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway to re-purpose the underutilized facility into a Haudenosaunee heritage center. The project will align with the region's overall tourism efforts by adding an additional historic tourism asset.

Total project cost: $400,000
Recommended state funding: $80,000 grant

Selkirk Point Redevelopment Planning and Design (Oswego County): CNY Enterprise Development Corporation will complete a predevelopment study, planning and design for a commercial and mixed-use redevelopment of Selkirk Point on Lake Ontario. The site is a nationally registered historic place and the redevelopment will showcase the area's history and promote new tourism opportunities.

Corso's Cookies new plant (Onondaga County): Company will build a new facility on the Onondaga Community College campus. The new location will allow the company to continue to grow its manufacturing capacity in order to serve the growing demand from national retail customers.

Total project cost: $8 million
Recommended state funding: $1.6 million grant

County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency incubator collaboration feasibility study (Oswego County): Project will evaluate the feasibility of redeveloping the former Price Chopper grocery store in the city of Oswego into a mixed-use incubator facility. The study will examine the available space as it could impact small businesses, improve a distressed neighborhood and fill the need of an incubator space in Oswego County.

Total project cost: $60,000
Recommended state funding: $30,000 grant

Stonewell Bodies Machine Inc. prototype facility development (Cayuga County): Project will expand the existing facility and workforce to add high-technology equipment and computer numerical control machines. The expansion is necessary to keep up with growing demand and to maintain existing market share.

Quasi Equity Loan Program (all of Central New York): CNY Enterprise Development Corp. will recapitalize its Quasi-Equity loan program, targeting early-stage businesses or new ventures. The firms must identify products or services with demonstrated market acceptance and realistic growth potential. CNYEDC estimates the creation of 90 new jobs and leverage of $5 million in additional investment.

Bauer Performance Lacrosse expansion (Onondaga County): Bauer will expand its existing capacity and production in Liverpool, including the purchase of new test lab equipment to meet the industry standards for safety and new technology for graphically enhancing helmets that are sold around the world.

Total project cost: $150,000
Recommended state funding: $20,000 grant

Cortland Company Inc. relocation (Cortland County): Cortland Co. will invest in relocating to a larger and more suitable facility for its manufacturing of specialty rope and cable products business. The company originally considered sites outside of New York but would like to keep its manufacturing in Central New York.

Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection (Onondaga County): Project will invest in sanitary sewer improvements that will service many new economic development projects located in the Inner Harbor and the North Side of Syracuse.

Total project cost: $4.8 million
Recommended state funding: $960,000 grant

Sunoco Inc truck and scale entrance improvements (Oswego County): The proposed Owens Road improvement project will acquire and install two scales, construct a scale house, and repave the entrance way to the existing facility. Project will provide for a much more efficient and safe delivery of products to the Sunoco facility, which is a strong partner and customer of the Port of Oswego.

Total project cost: $1 million
Recommended state funding: $200,000 grant

Colgate University Center for Art and Culture (Madison County): Project will relocate two Colgate University museums to a newly constructed Center for Art and Culture in downtown Hamilton. The two museums are currently in outdated facilities and this expansion will allow them to better care for existing collections while making them more accessible to visitors and the community.

Total project cost: $18.8 million
Recommended state funding: $750,000 grant

538 Erie Blvd West LLC - CG Meaker building redevelopment (Onondaga County): Project will redevelop the former CG Meaker building along Erie Boulevard West into a residential and commercial mixed-use property. This redevelopment continues the revitalization of the Park Avenue neighborhood and connects it to the new vibrancy of downtown Syracuse.

Total project cost: $5.94 million
Recommended state funding: $1 million grant

City of Cortland two-way Main Street feasibility study (Cortland County): The city of Cortland will commission a feasibility study of the conversion of the downtown Cortland Main Street into a two-way street. The study will generate information and recommendations concerning costs, lane configuration options and economic impact.

Total project cost: $70,000
Recommended state funding: $35,000 grant

Excellus 2014 - Paradise Companies II (Onondaga County): Paradise companies will invest in redeveloping the former Excellus building into a mixed-use complex consisting of commercial and office space and apartment units. This is currently one of the largest vacant buildings in downtown Syracuse.

Total project cost: $19.57 million
Recommended state funding: $2.32 million grant

Home HeadQuarters Inc. mixed use redevelopment (Onondaga County): Project will convert an underutilized parking lot, a vacant building and multiple vacant parcels on three corners of an intersection in the Near West Side of Syracuse into a mixed-use development that includes eight new properties for owner occupants.

Total project cost: $2.57 million
Recommended state funding: $260,000 grant

Infinity Armory LLC - SKY Armory Phase II redevelopment (Onondaga County): Sky Armory Phase II continues the development for the former Wells & Coverly building into a top event space for the region. The expansion will create a food and beverage production area in an underutilized space in the first floor along with an additional ballroom. The building is adjacent to the Pike Block and is a key component of the ongoing revitalization of South Salina Street in Syracuse.

Total project cost: $1.1 million
Recommended state funding: $400,000 grant

Redhouse Arts and Culture Complex (Onondaga County): The relocation of the Redhouse to the Sibley's building in downtown Syracuse will lead to an increase in the vibrancy of the city's main street. The renovation will include a complete facade transformation, a new courtyard and new classroom space.

Total project cost: $4.5 million
Recommended state funding: $900,000 grant

Syracuse Community Hotel Restoration Co. LLC - Hotel Syracuse redevelopment (Onondaga County): Project will invest in the redevelopment of one of the most important and culturally significant buildings in downtown Syracuse. The renovated property will provide guest rooms, three main ballrooms, a restaurant, lounge and new lobby.

Total project cost: $61.89 million
Recommended state funding: $3.9 million grant

Syracuse EDC/Shalimar Properties 407 LLC - Mizpah Tower (Onondaga County): Project will conduct a structural analysis of the Mizpah Tower in downtown Syracuse on behalf of Shalimar Properties 407 LLC. Built in 1914, the Mizpah is a five-story gothic-style building overlooking Syracuse's Columbus Circle. The property has been vacant and unmaintained for the last 25 years and this feasibility analysis will determine the best path forward for the property.

Total project cost: $50,000
Recommended state funding: $25,000 grant

VG Rentals Inc. mixed-use redevelopment (Cayuga County): VG Rentals will rehabilitate two historic buildings in downtown Auburn. The renovation of these buildings will aid in the transformation of the physical character in this key redevelopment site in the center-city corridor.

Total project cost: $4.07 million
Recommended state funding: $700,000 grant

201 East Jefferson Street LLC (Onondaga County): Project will redevelop a five-story, 30,000-square-foot building in downtown Syracuse, which is currently 60 percent vacant, into a unique live/work space. In addition to residential space, the project will feature a co-working office that will attract 100 new workers to downtown and create space for entrepreneurial events.

Total project cost: $1.13 million
Recommended state funding: $225,000 grant

St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center - Northside Training and Entrepreneurship Center (Onondaga County): Onondaga Community College, together with St Joseph's Hospital Health Center, Northside UP, CenterState CEO and other community partners, will increase accessibility of its non-credit training and education services to the residents of Syracuse, and relocation programs to newly renovated properties on the city's North Side.

Total project cost: $4.13 million
Recommended state funding: $360,000 grant

Inner Harbor Housing (Onondaga County): Empire Housing and Development Corp. will redevelop a property adjacent to the Syracuse Inner Harbor to build a mixed-use facility aimed at providing residential and other support services to Veterans. The project will include a Veteran's One Stop Center that will connect veterans to the community and other resources.

Total project cost: $7.1 million
Recommended state funding: $750,000 grant